Hallieod's TealogHallieod's tealog on Steepsterhttp://steepster.com/
Tetley Tea Bag from TetleyThis is the UK version - I've experienced the difference in tea sold in the US and in Ireland and the UK!
I have this every morning and afternoon - 2 tea bags in the pot, 5 minutes' steeping, bunch of (soy) milk and I'm alive. It's not great in itself, but is much better than most of the supermarket teas that you can afford to drink in quantity. Most of those are too weak for me, with the occasional strong but bitter type.Sat, 17 Jul 2010 05:05:11 -0400/teas/Tetley%20Tea%20Bag/1600-tetley-tea-bag?note=46205
Green Earl Grey from Revolution TeaThis one is really exceptionally nice. I'd never found a tea that made Earl Grey as tasty in a green or white as in black before this one - found myself in a ridiculously overpriced café in Waterstone's and had a cup of this. Then had to search for ages for somewhere to buy it here in Dublin! For me it's a great green tea - not bitter at all - with just the right amount of bergamot - not overpowering but not anemic either. Sat, 17 Jul 2010 05:11:55 -0400/teas/Green%20Earl%20Grey/6420-green-earl-grey?note=46207
Organic Green Tea from ClipperAs long as you're careful not to brew too hot or for too long, this is very nice. Not going to set the house on fire, but good for the times you just want to throw a teabag in a cup and have a green tea quickly.
Also Clipper is a fantastic company - this one is fair trade and the new boxes are very attractive.Sat, 17 Jul 2010 07:08:36 -0400/teas/Organic%20Green%20Tea/14692-organic-green-tea?note=46209
Tranquillity from YumchaaTue, 09 Apr 2013 15:39:46 -0400/teas/Tranquillity/33614-tranquillity?note=168193
Chilli Chilli Bang Bang from YumchaaTue, 09 Apr 2013 16:26:36 -0400/teas/Chilli%20Chilli%20Bang%20Bang/29860-chilli-chilli-bang-bang?note=168211
Chilli Chilli Bang Bang from YumchaaMy favourite rooibos tea so far. It's probably worth mentioning that my gingerbread recipe is adapted by (at least) tripling the amount of ginger, doubling the amount of cinnamon, and adding nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. I LIKE spicy. (And now I'm thinking it should get some pepper and chilli too.)
All that said, the tea is spicy but not overly so! A good rooibos base, with strong but balanced flavours of cinnamon and ginger, and a nice kick of chilli. (I've no idea what red thistle adds to the mix - does anyone know what it tastes like?) I almost always brew this in a large filter bag (Palais des Thés calls the size small, but they're generous) and leave it in, as rooibos doesn't get bitter with long steeping. I've noticed that when I drink it without milk (it's good either way) the last little bit of tea has a much more pronounced sweetness than the rest of the cup.
Have re-ordered several times from Yumchaa, and will keep buying as long as they keep selling!Wed, 10 Apr 2013 03:56:05 -0400/teas/Chilli%20Chilli%20Bang%20Bang/29860-chilli-chilli-bang-bang?note=168287
Berry Berry Nice from YumchaaI had the ends of a bag of this, and a new one of Yumchaa's Raspberry Vanilla, and after a few nights of alternate enjoying, decided it was time for a proper taste test, before all the Berry Berry Nice was gone. It was totally scientific! Well, actually, it was nothing of the sort. I put the teas straight into two cups and infused for the same amount of time, then divided those two cups into two more, so Cara and I could each taste properly. Naturally, we ended up with different preferences, but Berry Berry Nice is my winner.
With that mix of fruits, I've very little hope of distinguishing each flavour note, but despite Yumchaa's description of it as a "tart treat", I don't find it tart at all. Both it and Raspberry Vanilla have vanilla and rose petals (though BBN has vanilla "pieces" while RV has "pods" -- ??) and I'd have thought the combined fruits in BBN were at least as tart as raspberry, but I find it a smoother, less tangy tea nonetheless.
It's all gone now, and I will definitely be ordering more of this favourite. It happily serves as a winter, nighttime drink, as well as the summery one the "drink while wearing sunglasses" suggests.
Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:20:47 -0400/teas/Berry%20Berry%20Nice/17292-berry-berry-nice?note=168288
Mango Sunrise from YumchaaA lovely flavoured green, which I appreciate the more for having tried a few artificially flavoured ones by mistake. The mango is delicious, and either it balances out sencha's typical bite of bitterness or this is a particularly mellow sencha base. This one even convinced Becca (not a green tea fan) that green teas could be good, though she said she'd have preferred it with a bit of honey.
I've never got around to drinking it as an iced tea, despite the suggestions from Yumchaa, but then it's just not often hot enough to put you off drinking hot tea here! Second infusions have been a bit less tasty, but I'll try again and make more careful notes.Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:33:39 -0400/teas/Mango%20Sunrise/18833-mango-sunrise?note=168289
creme d'orange green and white from The Kent & Sussex Tea and Coffee CompanyThe ingredient list is a bit odd - not sure what "China Sencha" is, for one thing. But this is a nice tea all the same. Smells just like creamsicle in the tin, sweetly creamy and vanilla-orangey! And it is a pretty tea, if not quite as elegant as the picture on the website would suggest. That may be a good thing though, as a piece of orange that big and full of peel might add a bitterness the tea doesn't have at all. Taste is more flavoured green tea than creamsicle, which is a good thing, and it's a nice smooth tea base, whatever it is. Still doesn't taste quite as good as it smells, though it's very tasty. I'll keep experimenting, and will be reordering when I finish the small size order I got first.Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:14:29 -0400/teas/creme%20d'orange%20green%20and%20white/36652-creme-dorange-green-and-white?note=168290
Smoky Russian Caravan from PureAromaTeaParcel arrived from PureAromaTea this morning, and there were so many enticing little packets I got quite dizzy! First order from them, so I'd chosen to try sample sizes of lots of teas, and they'd added three (generous-sized) samples free. Doing a little happy dance, and only just stopping myself from ripping open ALL the bags to sniff at once.
I'm not rating this one as I don't have any other Russian Caravan experience to compare it against, as far as I remember. Also, I over-brewed a bit as I was serving my daughter's cup of Peach Black, which smells delicious, btw. But I'm liking the level of smokiness in this, which is smoky but not licking the cold barbeque smoky, and it's a very smooth black base. More tasting notes should follow at some point.Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:16:54 -0400/teas/Smoky%20Russian%20Caravan/36603-smoky-russian-caravan?note=168728
Lapsang Souchong from PureAromaTeaWell, that's a surprise - I just drank a cup of this and thought it was absolutely delicious! I only ordered it (the 10 g sample size) on a whim, because I have thought for a long time that I don't like lapsang souchong. It's good to find out things about yourself, even if they're "You don't even know what YOU like" kind of things, right? Er, *right*??
Anyway, I don't think I've even tried one since moving back to Ireland, almost 20 years ago. Maybe tastes have changed, maybe I was drinking it 'wrong', or maybe this is just a really good tea. (I think I'm going to send some to *cteresa* to see what she thinks.) Whatever the reason, I brewed up a cup this morning, with about 1.5 teaspoons (big cup) and then drank it without milk, which is both weaker and milk-less-er than I usually drink the morning caffeine blast. (By milk I mean either soy or almond, and right now it's almond, as our local grocery store has started stocking Alpro Almond - yay!) I meant to add a small splash of milk about halfway through, but found myself with an empty cup before I knew it. Smooth, slightly sweet and smoky. Not even a hint of bitterness or over-astringency.
I'm so glad I happened to see PureAromaTea's 25% off Steepster discount, which pushed me into ordering from them! Really enjoying working my way through the teas.Sat, 13 Apr 2013 07:18:25 -0400/teas/Lapsang%20Souchong/36768-lapsang-souchong?note=168916
Rooibos des Amants from Le Palais des ThesI can't quite figure out what's wrong with this tea, but there is something very wrong with it for me. It's kind of *flat*, and I'd waver between diagnosing it as stale (except it's a new packet), or that it contains badly mixed, cheap synthetic flavours (except that I was assured that PdT uses no artificial flavours). It's not anything that makes me want to behave like Tom Hanks in BIG, on tasting caviare, but I'm not going to be eager to drink it either, though that mix should be a winner for me. Luckily, younger daughter likes it, so we'll probably get through the packet easily enough, without my having to drink it. Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:16:20 -0400/teas/Rooibos%20des%20Amants/22633-rooibos-des-amants?note=169268
Rose Congou from PureAromaTeaDear, sweet, merciful teacup, this was good. I had *no* expectations of what Rose Congou should taste like, but one sniff, and one sip, and I now have my ideal Rose Congou in my head. Made a cup for Cara and she liked it as much as I did (and also added wisely that it didn't smell like her paternal grandmother, who always wore rose perfume!). Like drinking not just a rose garden, but a garden full of tea roses. Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:22:53 -0400/teas/Rose%20Congou/35117-rose-congou?note=169269
Rooibos Gingerbread and Orange Biscuit from The Kent & Sussex Tea and Coffee CompanyJust finished the last of this off and will have to do a few, "let me be fair" type comments to qualify my meh rating. First thing is that I was probably looking for - not a replacement - but an everyday, cheaper version of Yumchaa's Chilli Chilli Bang Bang. That's just not fair to most teas! Also, silly of me to try this one probably, as I'd never put orange biscuits in my gingerbread. Had it had any noticeable ginger flavours, a bit of orange might have been okay, but all I got from this was a rather faint generic citrus fruit. It should have had more taste, as there really are big bits of almond, peppercorns, and ginger is hardly an expensive ingredient to add to your gingerbread tea! (Actually, my bad again for not thinking harder about that ingredient list.) I'm guessing Yumchaa's rooibos base is a lot better too, as if I weren't looking at the tea, but drinking on a blind taste test, I don't think I'd know it was rooibos.
All in all, not offensive in any way, but not something I'll buy again.Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:36:31 -0400/teas/Rooibos%20Gingerbread%20and%20Orange%20Biscuit/36864-rooibos-gingerbread-and-orange-biscuit?note=169482
La Dame du Lac from Betjeman and BartonWell, *that* was an interesting tasting. Free sample from B&B, and I liked it quite a lot, but am still trying to process something that smells so fruity and sweet, along with the buttery, and that tastes so *un*fruity and so buttery. And not sweet! What's that about?!? Actually I think some of it may be that the green tea base is more Sencha-like bitter than -- well, than not. (China green is more than a bit broad as a category! But I still think it tastes a bit like a Sencha.) Got a few infusions, and all were tasty.
I'll be tasting this again, and may have a better sense of what I think of it, but may not manage anything much more. Pity a classy operation like Betjeman and Barton provide such useless brewing instructions. Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:46:56 -0400/teas/La%20Dame%20du%20Lac/35634-la-dame-du-lac?note=169485
Wendy Tea from PureAromaTeaSo, what *did* I think? I think this 'tea' is perfect if you like drinking lavender. Which I have discovered I don't, despite my love of all things lavenderish. But, I've made this for myself 3 or 4 times now, and each time it's gone like this. Go to take a sip and my senses are yelling that it's TOO LAVENDERY. Yuck! It'll be like pouring a bottle of essential oil into my cup! It's just wrong! (Drama queen about tea? Me??) And then I take a sip and it's so smooth, and it's lavendery, and I can't really taste much else over the lavender, but it's smooth and soft and leaves my mouth feeling really clean, and comforted. And this goes for most sips, although with less internal yelling, and then it's finished and my stomach joins my mouth in feeling soothed, and I look bemusedly at the bottom of my cup and wonder whether I liked it or not.
Cara won't even try it, given the strength of the lavender, so I probably won't reorder, but at the same time, it'd be a wonderful thing to have around for soothing. Maybe? And for sure, anyone who straightforwardly *likes* drinking lavender tea should be right on this one.Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:39:47 -0400/teas/Wendy%20Tea/34989-wendy-tea?note=169648
Organic Houjicha from Hibiki-anNope, I won't be able to make myself like this tea, so I'm offering it up to anyone who wants it. I'm fairly certain this is a "good" houjicha, though I have little enough experience with it. Smelling this and my Lapsang explained it all - that's smoky, woodfire-ish, even peaty. This is acrid. Doesn't taste as bad as it smells, but not my cuppa.
If a few people would like to try, I'll split it up, otherwise I'm happy to send it off around the world again. Please, someone(s), take me up on this offer! I got free shipping as it was part of a 3 packets of 100 g each deal, and the other two I love, so it's all good.Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:07:20 -0400/teas/Organic%20Houjicha/36685-organic-houjicha?note=169654
Organic Genmaicha Matcha-iri from Hibiki-anI love Genmaicha, though I've no idea where I first came across it. I've never had it dusted with the Matcha before, and am not entirely sure I recognise the difference between this and a straight Genmaicha. Possibly it helps to diminish the slightly bitter Sencha taste. But whatever it is, it makes a delicious cup of green tea! Toasty rice is just the best smell/taste, and it goes so well with the tea base. I think it would be very nice cold in hot weather too - should we ever get such a thing here. Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:13:56 -0400/teas/Organic%20Genmaicha%20Matcha-iri/36683-organic-genmaicha-matcha-iri?note=169656
Luxury from Betjeman and BartonHave had several cups of this now, and I've decided it's a nice black tea base with essence of confusion-to-your-senses. Sorry, *candied* essence of &tc. I rather doubt the flavouring is all natural, and I feel I should dislike it for that reason, but it is such a happy smell/taste (though smell especially) that I don't. Certainly not over-perfumey, despite which, I find myself craving an oil blend I could dab on myself and wear around all day. I definitely am craving candied chestnuts, aka marrons glacés! I totally agree with *Ysaurella* about the slight chestnutty bitterness, which is nutty but different from other types of "nutty" flavour.
Will try to do a closer approximation of a proper tasting note soon! Just for now, adding that yesterday I tried a smidge with my unsweetened almond milk, being afraid of ruining the cup, and it was lovely that way too. Sun, 21 Apr 2013 06:16:38 -0400/teas/Luxury/35277-luxury?note=170420
Spicy Chai from Premium SteapNot my kind of chai at all, because of the anise, which is far too prominent a flavour to be ignored. Possibly the chicory root doesn't help, but I can't get past the anise to determine that. I'd think this was probably a pretty good chai, if you like the flavours.Sun, 21 Apr 2013 09:07:21 -0400/teas/Spicy%20Chai/36687-spicy-chai?note=170425
Nil Rouge from Mariage Frères*cteresa* kindly sent me a sample of this, and I was very excited to try it, especially as we seem to share rooibos tastes and Mariage Freres teas are not easy to get over here! Glad to say we still seem to share tastes of rooibos(es?) - er, rooibos blends, as I liked this one a lot. Not *quite* as much as Yumchaa's Chilli Chilli Bang Bang, but I'd have been sad if I had preferred it to the Yumchaa, for reasons of unavailability mentioned above.
I brewed up the whole sample in my Cha Cult (which *cteresa* and I both also happened to get from Yumchaa and which works perfectly for rooibos) last night and then shared out big cups between Cara and myself. I liked the rooibos base a lot - it has that *good* woody taste, that isn't at all dusty or bitter but has a hint of vanilla I think - and the citrus flavours were lovely. Like others, I didn't even know what I should be looking out for in the "Oriental spices", and, perhaps for that reason, didn't get much spicyness, but it was so flavourful I didn't mind that.
Thanks again for the sample, *cteresa*! Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:08:28 -0400/teas/Nil%20Rouge/12137-nil-rouge?note=170897
Grapefruit Dragon from Butiki TeasWow. This was the first of the wonderful parcel sent to me by *Sil* and what a first tasting! I've been drooli... I've been *looking* very hard, and very often, at the Butiki teas on offer at the moment, and this was one I didn't even give a second look to, as I'm just not a big grapefruit fanatic. There wasn't much smell from the dry leaves, as I oh-so-carefully measured them out, but the first sip had me shaking my head in disbelief about how good the tea I had *not* been interested in was. The green tea base is amazingly smooth and sweet grassy without being like, well, chewing on your lawn grassy, and the grapefruit flavour went through a variety of interesting notes without hitting a single bitter one. Amazing.
I had to run yesterday after drinking this, which is why I didn't get a note on it, but I still had time to do three properly appreciated infusions. No way I'd have skimped on tasting tea this good. I'll be making this again, and sharing this time with my younger daughter, because she's interested enough to deserve a taste of this too. :P More notes to follow. Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:19:34 -0400/teas/Grapefruit%20Dragon/30211-grapefruit-dragon?note=170902
Wanderlust from YumchaaSo, the day before yesterday started off really well (tea-related), but went very badly downhill (not really tea-related, except for this tea). Then yesterday started horribly (not tea-related, except that I had to rush out of the house w/o my morning cuppas), stayed pretty bad (I think it shot my tea tastings for the day, too - will get to those if Steepster starts being happier), and then got resolved (included a nice, cheery night-time rooibos - ditto).
The good start to day-before yesterday involved a lovely email from Stacy of Butiki Teas and then two morning cups of tea from the swap *cteresa* sent me, neither of which will get onto the database here. One was a "random" Ceylon from a local tea shop - local to her, that is - which I found delightful, and which inspired me to order a Ceylon to try from PureAromaTeas. And the other was a home blended chai she made up with a Portuguese black tea, which was so good it made me walk around the house asking "Why have I never thought of chai for breakfast before?!?". All I can do aside from that is check out the rough proportions of spices *cteresa* used, as they were spot on.
[skipping over non-tea-related woes] In the afternoon, I made a pot of Wanderlust for Cara and me, as she's a big Yumchaa tea fan too. (By 'pot' I mean the Magic Infuser/Cha Cult I own.) Now, I have to say, with all due sorrow, that I've found a Yumchaa tea I didn't like. Dry, the smell of the apple and cinnamon was lovely, but after steeping it went bitter, which it also tasted. I have to say that my taste-buds were not tainted by the bitterness of the day, as Cara also found it bitter, before I'd even said anything about it. I *know* Teresa wouldn't have rated this one highly if it had been a problem with either the cinnamon or the green tea base, so I'm stumped as to what went wrong. That said, I've had teas I liked a *lot* less, but it was both Yumchaa and a Teresa favourite, so expectations were very high.
At least it rules one tea out of my next order from Yumchaa, thereby making life a bit easier! :? (If we ever get to London again, I'll definitely try it in store though, to see if I still don't much like it.)
Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:44:47 -0400/teas/Wanderlust/18634-wanderlust?note=171448
Vicky's Sponge Cake from Bluebird Tea Co.[Thank goodness I thought to copy and save this note before trying to post. Don't need any *more* frustration to this day. Here goes second try...]
Made this for Cara and me in the middle of yesterday's fun times </ sarcasm>, and was very disappointed. Packaging was cute as could be, and everyone else had such positive reactions to it. Hard as I tried, all I could get was a faint tang of raspberry, which does not a Victoria sponge cake make. Cara didn't even get the raspberry, but said "If it's got CAKE in the name, it should taste of CAKE. Because -- *CAKE*" We didn't even get enough vanilla to let imaginations supply the cake. I tried it without milk, then with Cara's almond milk (mine is the unsweetened), and Cara drank it with regular milk, so no almondy flavour would interfere. I'd give it another try, but think it makes more sense to send it off to someone who might like it much more.
(Steeped exactly as per instructions - can't get those right now.)Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:34:15 -0400/teas/Vicky's%20Sponge%20Cake/36110-vickys-sponge-cake?note=171461
Get Up 'n Goji Berry from Niks TeaFri, 26 Apr 2013 17:29:27 -0400/teas/Get%20Up%20'n%20Goji%20Berry/37152-get-up-n-goji-berry?note=171466
Get Up 'n Goji Berry from Niks TeaFri, 26 Apr 2013 17:29:34 -0400/teas/Get%20Up%20'n%20Goji%20Berry/37152-get-up-n-goji-berry?note=171467
Get Up 'n Goji Berry from Niks TeaFri, 26 Apr 2013 17:32:12 -0400/teas/Get%20Up%20'n%20Goji%20Berry/37152-get-up-n-goji-berry?note=171468
Get Up 'n Goji Berry from Niks TeaI'm feeling the need for Steepster to allow searching for people by region (Ravelry has it, Goodreads has it, can't be that impossible!), after adding this small Irish tea company. Hello, Dublin??
Anyway, bought this in Fallon & Byrne's the other day, totally intrigued by the list of ingredients, and always willing to pick up a new tea. When I drank it, it was an enjoyable but horrendously confusing experience - there is so, so much going on there it's hard to describe! Also, I've never tasted green rooibos straight, so don't know what that's adding to the mix. Nor do I know what mallow blossoms, pomegranate blossoms, sea buckthorn berries, or even ginseng taste like. It ended up tasting very fruity, mostly some fruit that's rather tangy - almost like Ribena without the sweetness, but not as far on the tangy scale as hibiscus. Apricot is not a heavily apparent flavour, though it could be part of the tangy fruity! With a little floral and -- I don't know. Slightly embarrassing admission - I dissected the leaves & other material after I'd finished. Lot of goji berries, but they aren't that strong a taste even alone. I like it, despite its confusion-inducing properties, and made it last night and Cara also liked it, despite etc. It's not my ideal fruity rooibos, but it's tasty and keeps the taste buds awake!Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:35:51 -0400/teas/Get%20Up%20'n%20Goji%20Berry/37152-get-up-n-goji-berry?note=171778
Smoky Russian Caravan from PureAromaTeaFinished the last of my sample today, which was sad. Especially as I'd ordered a Russian Caravan from the Kent & Sussex Tea Company (*lots* of Russian customers, figured it should be good), and found it very disappointing. I'll order Pure Aromas again, maybe trying smoky and unsmoky, but just wanted to add that I enjoyed my last cup with the addition of a half teaspoon of honey. Not just any honey - Sarah's Warming Honey with Cinnamon. (So, HTML doesn't work. Okay then: http://www.mileeven.com/products.) It was an amazingly good addition, which didn't make me feel I could *only* enjoy the tea that way, but added a fun other way to drink when in the mood.
(Backlog, I have one. Should be doing teas that have no tasting note yet, but what can you do when the mood to talk about a particular cuppa strikes?)Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:51:47 -0400/teas/Smoky%20Russian%20Caravan/36603-smoky-russian-caravan?note=171780
Ceylon Osmanthus from Kally TeaThanks to Sil for sharing this one! Only a short tasting notelet, as I probably oversteeped this one (no brewing instructions on the website and I figured a Ceylon should be okay for 4 minutes, anyway). The smell was amazing, and I now know that I must have an osmanthus tea somewhere in my cupboard, though this may not be *the* osmanthus for me. The taste was much weaker, and as the tea base was rather bitter, it was hard to get anything else. I'll try again shorter and maybe cooler.Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:02:07 -0400/teas/Ceylon%20Osmanthus/33109-ceylon-osmanthus?note=171867
Keemun Spruce from PureAromaTeaOh, happy days - another new-to-me tea I really like! I'd never, to my knowledge, had a straight Keemun before the other day, so again had no idea what to expect. I ended up getting a sample of this and a small bag of the Keemun Orchid from Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co. at around the same time. I tried the Kent & Sussex first (I'll add that to Steepster eventually), expecting at least some of the promised "sweetish flavour", the honey, plum and *orchid*. Getting instead the very mild smokiness I now know is characteristic of a Keemun, with a woody flavour and slight sharpness I didn't find very pleasant, I decided to brew up a cup of the Pure Aroma Tea to compare. They say it's delicate and "perfumed", but given that the K&S was called orchid and the PAT was called spruce, I expected more sharp woodiness rather than less. Instead, I got a *lovely* cup of smoothness. The touch of smokiness plays nicely with the hint of woodiness, but here there's no sharpness at all, rather a taste that balances beautifully this side of sweet. I wouldn't describe it as perfumed, but that's not a bad thing. I drank a bit without milk, as per the notes on the package, but then enjoyed the rest with a splash of milk. (I'm kind of funny about black teas, because of drinking so many strong Irish/English breakfast blend types daily over so many years. Sometimes a taste can be nice, but I get a bit agitated if I can't find the right strength to drink it with milk, or perfect taste to drink it without. This was unusual in that it was easy to enjoy the same cup both ways.)Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:10:31 -0400/teas/Keemun%20Spruce/34990-keemun-spruce?note=171868
Nearly Nirvana from Bluebird Tea Co.Another quick note, as I didn't want to leave my only Bluebird Tea Co tasting note the not-very positive one on Vicky's Sponge Cake, after I've enjoyed some of the other teas I got from them. This is probably my favourite, as I've not had the jasmine & spearmint combo before in a green/white, and it's a real winner. I may have been a bit over-cautious with water temp, as it was definitely below 80, and the smell is stronger than the taste, but it's such an utterly wonderful smell that I'm not complaining. Nice blend of white (which I'd guess to be a white peony?) and green tea for the base, and overall balanced and delicate blend.
I didn't want to edit the tea info (which is the same as the website) as I'm not positive about this, but the ingredients on the package say orange *flowers*, not *orange*, and I'm definitely not getting any orange taste. There are lots of beautiful flowers in with the tea & spearmint leaves, though I didn't have time (or probably, knowledge!) to spread them out and decide what type they were.Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:45:22 -0400/teas/Nearly%20Nirvana/36165-nearly-nirvana?note=171872
Chelsea Chai from YumchaaOh good, back in I-love-all-Yumchaa-teas mode now. Thanks to *cteresa* for the sample! I didn't both reading the notes for ingredients for this one, just assumed it was a green chai. I prefer chai as proper industrial-strength black or the other end of the (caffeine) scale and rooibos, but my mind was open to a Yumchaa green chai, and this turned out to be lovely. I love ginger, cardamom and pepper, and love them together (usually with cinnamon), I love Yumchaa's green tea bases (this one is sencha) and I love spearmint, but I'd never have thought the spearmint would go so well with the other tastes.
It's going to be interesting, choosing from the growing list of tried-and-loved teas for the next Yumchaa order! Thanks again, T!Fri, 03 May 2013 12:22:47 -0400/teas/Chelsea%20Chai/31751-chelsea-chai?note=172584
Cuba Libre Black Tea from 52teasDrank this the other day, and was very pleasantly surprised, after my expectations about 52teas had been lowered by Weeping Angel. Thanks for the tea, *sil*! I was both amused and intrigued by how very *cola-ish* the cola flavour is - it certainly predominates, but it's not only that, it's that it's so true-cola that I almost felt a faint bit of the fizz of a fresh cola, even while drinking it hot. Didn't get too much rum, and only the merest hint of lime, but it was still very tasty. Cara agreed, and we thought it'd be excellent iced, as others have said. On a whim, I tried resteeping a smallish cup, sweetening it a bit with brown sugar and sticking it in the fridge. I was surprised at how much flavour remained in the resteeped cup, and it was definitely good iced.
Kind of makes me wonder if it's worth playing with the Weeping Angel... hmmm, that sounds very odd indeed! I didn't make a note on that when first tried it, so might try different temps and times, to see if I can't get it a bit better.Fri, 03 May 2013 12:35:10 -0400/teas/Cuba%20Libre%20Black%20Tea/35436-cuba-libre-black-tea?note=172588
Pluckley Tea from The Kent & Sussex Tea and Coffee CompanyI'm going to be doing a bunch of possibly pointless, definitely uninteresting to anyone but me, notes about straight-up strong black Irish/English blends. No ratings for the time being, but at some point.
This -- I find confounding (though it's not alone, as everything about this applies to a couple of Bewley's teas that aren't in the database yet). I don't get a loose leaf tea that's - as far as my understanding goes - made to be a perfect *teabag* tea. This is tiny CTC tea - possibly the tiniest bits I've come across, and the only way I can make a decent cup of tea is to put it in a teabag. Otherwise, too much dust and you can't strain it well, and it gets bitter & overly astringent in a flash. So I'm getting a very high quality teabag, by filling one of the huge ones - plenty of room for leaves to move - but I'd rather get a loose-leaf tea when I *buy* a loose-leaf tea! Taste is good if not mind-blowing, and it is nice and strong.Sat, 04 May 2013 09:13:02 -0400/teas/Pluckley%20Tea/27358-pluckley-tea?note=172730
Tropical Mango from Teajo TeasSample thanks to Sil! I've delayed tasting some of the wonderful teas in Sil's generous swap because the ideal time for me to try them (afternoon) is usually eaten up in caring duties. (I'll go so far as to bring some tea with me, but nothing special or hard to obtain!) Today should have been a day I didn't have to spend the afternoon there but ended up having to, so I decided to try one before going up - but one that Sil didn't much like, so as not to waste it by rushing. There's method to my apparent irrationality! I think?
Was a bit surprised this didn't get boiling water, but followed the instructions, not expecting too much. And at first I thought the tea wasn't good, but it grew on me as I sipped on (possibly as it cooled). The black base is quite nice, and the mango flavour is being held against Yumchaa's Mango Sunrise and a mango tea I got around here, both of which are very superior mango teas indeed. Teajo website says it's natural flavour, and I think the slightly artificial whiff I was getting at first was in fact the orange peel, which was giving a slightly bitter note. (Orange peel has its place, most definitely, but I don't think this is it.) It's not going to surpass either of my other mango teas (both greens, admittedly!), but I'm glad to have got to find that out, and will also try it cold. Thanks again to Sil for the chance to try it!Tue, 07 May 2013 08:31:05 -0400/teas/Tropical%20Mango/30619-tropical-mango?note=173174
Keemun from Red Blossom Tea CompanyAnother "thanks to *sil*" tasting note! Had a few too-stupid-to-brew-cuppa days there, which had me avoiding trying this, but today I was up to the challenge. (Totally sarcastic, both about the challenge and about being up to anything.) Anyway, I brewed this according to Red Blossom's instructions - though I simply had to taste the rinse water, like the big child I am. (It was mildly pool-water tasting, I thought, so they were probably right to say discard it.) But then I was dutiful and did as I was supposed to.
I'm going to have to leave it rather vaguely as not as much to my taste as the Pure Aroma Teas Keemun Spruce, but a nice cup all the same. There was a bit less silky smoothness to the smokiness compared to the PAT one, which left it ever so slightly tasting of burnt wood, to me. Well, obviously, smoke *comes* from burnt wood but it doesn't mean the tea *tastes* like the wood itself. Yes, this tasting note is FULL OF SMART. I could get slight sweet notes - a hint of cocoa/chocolate and maybe a hint of raisin, but they weren't quite as strong as the burnt notes. Which weren't strongly burnt, but still dominant.
Thanks again for the sample, *sil*. It's great to have had the chance to try this Keemun!Thu, 09 May 2013 11:57:39 -0400/teas/Keemun/19546-keemun?note=173589
Monk's Blend from TealishAnother sample from *sil*'s generous swap! This sounded - and smelled - delicious, but I found the cup pretty much exactly as *sil* did. I don't see why the grenadine was added, and found overall the tea tastes fairly weak with a slightly odd mix of fruity/sweet tastes barely making it through. Tasted better with milk (almond, unsweetened), but then was far too weak to be really enjoyable. Glad to have tasted it, and certainly nothing objectionable, but at least there's one tea I can knock off the grand list of all the teas that must be tried!
Thu, 09 May 2013 12:09:44 -0400/teas/Monk's%20Blend/19240-monks-blend?note=173591
Lembranca - Lembrança from THE O DORThanks to *cteresa* for the sample - my first green mate/maté (in memory, at any rate!) I drank this a few days ago, but didn't get a chance to make a note at the time. I liked it! I didn't immediately become fired with the desire to find more mate teas and become one with them, but I liked the flavouring a lot and it all worked together well. Big fan of lemongrass here.
Funny thing though - I'd caffeinated up with my usual two strong cups of afternoon black tea *before* drinking this, and about 30 minutes later, was hit by a wave of sleepiness I found hard to fight. What was that about? Thu, 09 May 2013 12:21:23 -0400/teas/Lembranca%20-%20Lembran%C3%A7a/31583-lembranca-lembranca?note=173592
Laoshan Black from Verdant TeaUh, sipdown. (No bold or exclamation marks, as I have lots more tea in my real cupboard than in my virtual one, so the virtue of a *sipdown!* is not mine!)
ANYway, this came from *sil* - thank you again, sil! Second time I've had it, and have to admit, this is a bit of a miss for me. Not a *bad* miss, but just a miss in comparison to the hit it is for a huge number of people here. The thing about it is that I got one overpowering aroma/taste/*memory*, and that is cocoa, as in the beverage, rather than the cooking ingredient, but more specifically, the kind of cup of cocoa that gets a skim of milk on top. Now, I haven't had any kind of cocoa for a while, especially any made with milk (migraines and diary intolerance), and I have to doubt that that kind of a cup of cocoa smells any different from your ideal cup of cocoa, but that's what my smell memory brought out. It's slightly burnt-roasty, a little malty, and it's not what I imagine when hearing a tea described as having chocolate notes. When it cooled, especially on later infusions, I got a bit milder taste, and maybe a raisin smell behind the cocoa one, but never got cinnamon or honey or caramel... Not unpleasant but not something I'd rush to buy either. Unless possibly this is the autumn/spring thing, in which case I'd try the spring.Sun, 12 May 2013 11:28:38 -0400/teas/Laoshan%20Black/20064-laoshan-black?note=174008
Wedding Chai from Premium SteapYou know what? This might be one of those teas that makes a liar out of me. I like my spicy teas *spicy* - and that goes especially for chai - no messing around, plenty of ginger and cinnamon - pepper, cloves, I like 'em. And then I got this one, and it's so smooth and sweet from the vanilla and cardamom (both favourite flavours, but not without the other spices for *chai*), and the Assam works so well as a base, with its typical astringency tempered by the vanilla and cardamom, that it's just a lovely cup of sweetly flavoured tea. Sun, 12 May 2013 14:11:22 -0400/teas/Wedding%20Chai/36686-wedding-chai?note=174035
Red Christmas from YumchaaI got this along with a bag of my beloved Chilli Chilli Bang Bang, because it was limited edition and I didn't notice the aniseed in there. (Or possibly hadn't figured out that while I like anise/licorice fine as flavours themselves, I dislike them in most teas.) For a good few cups I thought it was just the unfair comparison with CCBB that stopped this being a winner, then read *cteresa*'s note and went "Aha! Aniseed!", but then it started to grow on me. The anise flavour is just tempered enough by the strength of the other flavours (all favourites) that I like it. It's not a problem that it's limited edition, as long as CCBB comes back for the colder weather. But if not -- there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth! (The new Red Chai has aniseed as its *first ingredient* - not cool, Yumchaa!)Sun, 12 May 2013 14:17:36 -0400/teas/Red%20Christmas/23571-red-christmas?note=174037
Fairtrade Organic Assam from ClipperThis is only in my cupboard because the local shop was out of Clipper's Everyday Tea, which is a staple in this house (in teabag form - wasn't impressed with the loose leaf). I had to get something for the daughters, though I'm not drinking the Everyday much these days, and I picked this one up, having seen that the Organic Assam with Vanilla was a hit. But not so much. I can well imagine the vanilla de-puckering this one, but it's really not very delicious without. SO astringent. I didn't even bother getting either Becca or Cara to try, as I knew they'd hate it, but now I have quite a few bags left to get finished off somehow. Sun, 12 May 2013 14:29:43 -0400/teas/Fairtrade%20Organic%20Assam/21061-fairtrade-organic-assam?note=174042
Pistachio Ice Cream from Butiki TeasThu, 16 May 2013 05:35:58 -0400/teas/Pistachio%20Ice%20Cream/22857-pistachio-ice-cream?note=174684
Pistachio Ice Cream from Butiki TeasNo time for a proper note, but I made this yesterday for Cara (23 y.o. daughter)and me, managed to add a bit too little tea, and served it with a smidge of coconut palm sugar. Cara took one sniff, then one sip, and said' and I quote: Aw, YUM. She then asked rather desperately if it was just a sample size or if I'd got a lot, and said it was her new favourite tea. I agree! However, wasn't sample size, but I think I'll need to order again x a bunch to consider that we have "a lot".Thu, 16 May 2013 05:39:09 -0400/teas/Pistachio%20Ice%20Cream/22857-pistachio-ice-cream?note=174685
Wild Purple Buds Puerh from Butiki TeasGenerous sample sent to me by Stacy along with my order - aim: to make me no longer fear the puerh, accomplished! Thank you, Stacy! I'm not going to be able to do a proper tasting note for this one, especially given the number of infusions I got before I had to leave it and do other, more boring things. (Like cleaning.) But briefly, some of the notes I got were tobacco (strongest in the first infusion), honey (ditto), oak, a peppery bite (didn't taste *like* pepper, but had that kind of bite - strongest in 3rd and 4th infusions), and then back to a very smooth oaky smokey one, with that lasting through all subsequent infusions. I was trying to get the flavour of the 'bite', and it was driving me crazy, as I could not pin it down. And suddenly I got it - serendipity helped, because we'd just got some Amaretti biscuits, which I haven't had in ages, and we've been eating at night with our rooibos. These are totally different tasting from the macaroons I'm more used to, although the package translates 'Amaretti classici' as 'classic crunchy macaroons'. The ingredients are sugar, apricot kernels, almonds and egg white, in that order, and I don't know if it's the apricot kernels that give the bite, although other than very bitter almonds, it can't be anything else? If it was just the baking longer to make them crunchy, they'd taste more of toasty almonds. Anyway, that's the bite in the Puerh!
Very much enjoyed drinking this today, and still have enough for another session!Sat, 18 May 2013 14:23:52 -0400/teas/Wild%20Purple%20Buds%20Puerh/23078-wild-purple-buds-puerh?note=175032
Pouchkine from Betjeman and BartonLovely sample-sized sachet sent to me by *Ysaurella*, who thought I'd like it. You were so right, Ysaurella! I have a somewhat uneasy relationship with Earl Greys, as I love the flavour of bergamot, but often find it so overpowering I can't get enough of the base tea tea-ishness, so it's more like licking a bottle of essential oil than it should be. This, however, is delicious! The other citrus flavours make a huge difference, as you get orange, lemon and bergamot flowing over your palate, but they're all restrained enough to keep them from being too dominant. And the touch of smokiness is surprisingly right with the citrus - well, it surprised me. I could see vanilla with Earl Grey immediately, but wasn't sure about smoky.
I'll definitely be getting this when I order from B&B again - thank you so much for introducing me to this one, Ysaurella!Sun, 19 May 2013 05:51:45 -0400/teas/Pouchkine/26028-pouchkine?note=175145
Prince Igor from Mariage FrèresAnother of the samples *Ysaurella* sent me - thank you again! Cara and I had this the other afternoon, but I had no chance to make a note then, so finished off the last of it in a small cup just for me. I think if this one had tasted *as* good as it smelled, I'd have been in trouble. I sniffed and pondered and sniffed some more, and finally came up with strawberries and cream with vanilla sugar. And some undefined but gentle floral note. Now, I haven't eaten strawberries and cream for ages (although soya cream is a really good substitute these days), and have no idea if cream actually smells, but this is still what my sniffing was telling me. The cup itself didn't have quite the same richness and depth of flavour, and again, my imperfect tasting gave me very slightly underripe strawberries, vanilla and again, that elusive light floral taste. (Is it the sunflowers? They sure look pretty, but even tasting one gave no clue as to whether or no they taste sweet. Yes, I do regularly taste the leaves after infusion!) Very nice, and the black & green tea base is very good - though I wouldn't have got green myself, I don't think. Perhaps if I hadn't had Ysaurella's careful preparation notes to hand I might have got the green in the bad way?
I've tried the Pleine Lune as well, but going to brew it up again for tasting note for that, but so far, I'm extremely happy that the Pouchkine has been *the* hit of the teas Ysaurella sent for me. This way, I know which Mariage Frères teas I want to get when I get to the London shop, but am not so smitten I have to pay MF shipping rates to Ireland Right. Now. Sun, 19 May 2013 09:53:24 -0400/teas/Prince%20Igor/29465-prince-igor?note=175155
Creamy Eggnog from Butiki TeasAnother of the generous handful of samples Stacy added to my order! Such generosity had to be matched, so I split this with Cara, instead of hoarding my cup's worth.
If I'd had this before the Pistachio Ice Cream (or the Caramel Vanilla Assam - note to come), I think I'd have assumed I'd ordered the wrong teas, as this *must* be the best. (My tenses and conditionals are a bit mixed up there, but best I can do atm.) Or if it had been called first-rate green with very delicious touch of vanilla (catchy name, no?), then I'd have expected *less* eggnog. Having read Stacy's note here about her original plans for the spicy eggnog additions that went the way of all flesh when she tasted it as is, I think I agree, but it took me a bit of sipping time to get *kapow!* eggnog out of my head, leaving room for no-punching, no-knockout delicious, smooth, SO GOOD green with just the right touch of vanilla. The tea itself seems to have the creaminess of some greens, but it could be the magic of superior flavouring. Whatever, it is a fantastic tea, which didn't quite manage to knock Pistachio Ice Cream off its green Butiki pedestal. (I got four infusions, btw!)Sun, 19 May 2013 10:06:32 -0400/teas/Creamy%20Eggnog/32280-creamy-eggnog?note=175156
Russian Caravan from PureAromaTeaMy *only* complaint about this is that I wish there were more info about the teas in this 'most traditional tea blend'. Love the sense of history you get drinking it, and obviously, love the taste (strong, smooth - very smooth - and just the smallest sweetness as the sip goes down), although there isn't really "more" history to this than any other tea. Never mind! Like my imaginings as I'm sipping. I'll probably end up prodding the nice guys at PAT for a breakdown, just out of curiosity. Wiki says Keemun, Oolong and Lapsang Souchong, but that still leaves a lot of territory, and probably isn't true for all Russian Caravans anyway.
Makes a great breakfast tea, as do both PATs breakfast blends, which I've enjoyed and will note soon.Mon, 20 May 2013 04:30:06 -0400/teas/Russian%20Caravan/35119-russian-caravan?note=175291
English Afternoon from PureAromaTeaI'm rotating between this and the English and Irish Breakfast blends, but never managing to make the definitive tasting note on any. I think this might be my favourite, though I feel I should be loyal to the Darjeeling-less blends (which the Irish definitely is, and I'm guessing the English too). I make them all with two teaspoons for a cup about 300 ml, and all are nice and strong, round, and astringent enough to know you're drinking a strong black without taking your mouth off. None is *too* round either, and someday I'm going to figure out what I mean by too round so it's remotely comprehensible to others.
My wonderful tea-drinking day yesterday started off with the best cup of this. Good stuff!Mon, 20 May 2013 04:44:13 -0400/teas/English%20Afternoon/36908-english-afternoon?note=175295
Green Snail Spring (Bi Luo Chun) from Blue Lantern TeaSo, was in Becca's place, with my broken arm and her tea bags and tea pot, generally feeling rubbish, and Cara brought down the box that had arrived from Blue Lantern Tea. Which made me both very happy and incredibly frustrated! I was still feeling a little -unsettled - intestinally, everything tasted off, and I couldn't treat the teas as they deserved. But, a day later, I finally caved and made myself a cup of this as best I could, and it was sheer bliss. Some of that, admittedly, was the relief of having a cup of really good tea *taste* good, but most of it was the tea. Better tasting note will come, but for now, it was a delightful Chinese green - very, very tasty, vegetal without being sharp or at all bitter, and light touches of sweet fruit that aren't in any way cloying. Happy face!Thu, 30 May 2013 11:21:27 -0400/teas/Green%20Snail%20Spring%20(Bi%20Luo%20Chun)/37885-green-snail-spring-bi-luo-chun?note=177098
Jade Oolong (Huan Jin Gui) from Blue Lantern TeaWow. I'm back home for the night, as Bec and Cara are out at the latest of the charity events Bec's been organising. Of course I brought my Blue Lantern box with me, and decided not to feel guilty trying a new one without Cara. Now I'm not so sure about that lack of guilt because this was fantastic. I know *nothing* about oolongs, having only ever had 4 of them, 2 dan congs which I really didn't like at all, and 2 others which were rather bland, if not tasteless. So no real expectations. Dry, this smelled pleasantly green, but brewed, the smell blew me away. At first I was thinking a cross between jasmine and honeysuckle, but then it seemed much closer to magnolia - the grandiflora variety and that because of the lemony lift to the sweet floral. (I am totally talking real tree here, not perfume!) What I found fascinating was how well the disconnect worked between the very fragrant floral aroma and the on the sweet side of green, rather than a full-on kaley green, but not floral taste. On my third cup now, and it's every bit as delicious as the first.
This could be the way Iron Goddess of Mercy Oolongs always are, and everyone more tea-savvy will be going "well, duh!", but I'm still ticked at the idea of an Iron Goddess's bashful sister tea. *sil*, is this a floral-tea hater's almost-floral tea? :) I'd love to send you some to try!Thu, 30 May 2013 12:14:49 -0400/teas/Jade%20Oolong%20(Huan%20Jin%20Gui)/37888-jade-oolong-huan-jin-gui?note=177108
Paris from Harney & SonsBlech. I may have been a bit biased about this from the start, because I read "natural and artificial vanilla, fruit and citrus flavours" as natural and artificial *vanilla* and was all snooty about the use of artificial vanilla. But the nasty smell I got on opening the tea had everything to do w bad cough syrup, so I don't think my prejudice had much influence over my smelling of the dry leaves. Or the steeped ones, OR the taste. Artificial black currant overpowered everything else. Most definitely not for me, though I'm not too sad to have tried it this way, as I got it quite cheaply on iHerb along with housewarming natural conditioner and cleaner for Becca. Cara didn't like the tea either, but might be able to give it to Becca and keep the tin, which is cute. Otherwise will scatter it via Steepster!Sat, 01 Jun 2013 10:41:32 -0400/teas/Paris/1537-paris?note=177409
Ruby Pie from Butiki TeasI had a sample of the gluten-free version, kindly given to me by Stacy, after I'd bemoaned my inability to try the regular type! Don't know if I should have added the GF version as a different tea or not. Obviously there'll be some differences in taste!
Cara and I had had a flavoured green which was really bitter, the H&S Paris, which we both disliked, and I didn't have much energy left for brewing or noting but knew we needed something good - this was a great choice! Strawberry and rhubarb is a delicious combination, and the small amount of hibiscus really was a good thing, even for the hibiscus-averse. The tea was tart and fruity, with a delicious touch of coconut, which made a happy pie crust flavour. We both drank it plain, and it was great, though if the GF is available when I put in next Butiki order, I will be eager to try it with a bit of sugar, with milk, with both... Well done to *sil* and Stacy!Sat, 01 Jun 2013 11:28:53 -0400/teas/Ruby%20Pie/37114-ruby-pie?note=177414
Mayfair English Breakfast from Jenier World of TeasSteeped this too long, I think - everything takes SO long with your dominant arm out of real action! But I think this will be better when I just sit watching the tea brew rather than trying to get my breakfast cereal done.
I *love* the amount of info Jenier gives on each of their teas, so added the origin as well as ingredients here.Mon, 03 Jun 2013 05:37:56 -0400/teas/Mayfair%20English%20Breakfast/37967-mayfair-english-breakfast?note=177705
Stampede Breakfast from Banff Tea Co., TheTue, 04 Jun 2013 11:16:39 -0400/teas/Stampede%20Breakfast/36280-stampede-breakfast?note=177940
Stampede Breakfast from Banff Tea Co., TheFirst tea tried from *Dexter3657*'s box of goodies! I was a little flummoxed by "hot water" as a brewing instruction, but hoped it was implying "but not boiling" as I assumed and proceeded with water several minutes off the boil. Whether or not the water was right temperature, the tea came out very tasty! Had never heard of maple tea before Steepster, but as maple syrup is right up there on my list of *necessary* luxuries, knew I wanted to try one. Odd thing is that this smells almost exactly like Betjeman & Barton's Luxury tea, but tastes more muted. Which is not a bad thing, as I found the Luxury a bit overpoweringly flavoured. I didn't send you a sample of that, did I? I'd be very interested to see if you found the similarities I did between the two. Thanks for this & the many other teas yet to be tasted!Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:17:59 -0400/teas/Stampede%20Breakfast/36280-stampede-breakfast?note=177941
Thé Noir Ceylan FP Bio Ceylon Breakfast - Premium from DestinationFirst thing I drank out of the fantastic care package *cteresa* sent me! It was a while ago, but I've been having a hard time writing tasting notes, so for the moment, have mostly concentrated on not wrecking any of the lovely teas by my left-handed awkward brewing.
This, yes, I drank it first day, and it was one of those "Ooooh, good tea. Good tea. good tea. Wait, it's GONE?!?" kind of drinkings. Not so much with the descriptions. However, I have to agree that it's a lovely Ceylon tea, and also that, amazingly, brewing it a little on the weak side (as I didn't read the note about the amount of tea per bag in time) didn't do anything to spoil it. I like my black breakfast type teas very strong, too. It was a little weak, but not at all *thin* tasting or weak on flavour, which is impressive. I have drunk many loose leaf teas that aren't half as nice, so was well pleased with this teabag hit! Thanks again, Teresa!Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:39:19 -0400/teas/Th%C3%A9%20Noir%20Ceylan%20FP%20Bio%20Ceylon%20Breakfast%20-%20Premium/17835-the-noir-ceylan-fp-bio-ceylon-breakfast-premium?note=179259
Fairtrade Organic Assam Tea with Vanilla from ClipperAnother from the box of wonder *cteresa* sent me after I broke my elbow! I made the first cup of this right after drinking the Destination Ceylon, which was a mistake, especially as I probably left it steeping too long. (BTW, love Clipper as a company, but it makes me so irritated that they have exactly the same brewing instruction on *every* tea they sell - white, everyday breakfast blend, green, you name it! Even I've known better than that for years, and I'm not a long-established tea company!) I drank it again a day or two ago and gave it just under 3 minutes and liked it much, much better. No bitterness, not overly-astringent, and I loved the delicate level of vanilla. I could have taken more vanilla, but didn't feel the tea suffered from not having it. Oddly enough, they sell probably over 30 types of Clipper teas in our local produce/health food/gourmet shop, and I've never seen this one there. Lots of other places to look for it, but it just seems strange.Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:46:28 -0400/teas/Fairtrade%20Organic%20Assam%20Tea%20with%20Vanilla/17296-fairtrade-organic-assam-tea-with-vanilla?note=179261
Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha from Verdant TeaKindly sent to me, along with many other goodies, by *Dexter3657*!
This is one amazing tea. Really extraordinary. Everything I didn't much like (to my embarrassment) about the Laoshan Black was mellowed and smoothed by the toasted rice and became absolutely wonderful. I'm discovering that I'm even weirder about teas than I'd realised, and one of my weirdnesses is apparently having 'issues' about roasty tastes, including dark chocolate ones. I can't eat dark chocolate any more because of migraines, but I used to love it as much as anyone - er, anyone who loves dark chocolate. But in the Laoshan Black, the malty chocolate just tasted slightly burnt to me, and the bitterness wasn't the awesome bitterness of proper dark chocolate. But I love toasted rice in tea, and here it was as nice as ever, and it was fascinating how a 'peasant tea' became so *elegant*. I so much appreciate the sample - and such a generous sample! Cara and I had a bunch of cups out of that first batch, and there's still more to enjoy another day.
Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:52:37 -0400/teas/Laoshan%20Black%20Chocolate%20Genmaicha/35881-laoshan-black-chocolate-genmaicha?note=179264
Roasted Yerba Mate from Fusion TeasAnother from *Dexter3657*'s box of happiness - if this is the Fusion roasted maté you sent?
I'd never had roasted maté before, and given what I'm finding out about my extreme pickiness over roasted flavours in teas, wouldn't have thought I'd like it much. But it's a favourite of Dexter's, so she included some to let me try, and I'm really, really glad she did, as I loved it! I like coffee flavour, just don't like the actual taste of the stuff, unless it's well drowned with milk (substitute, these days) and sugar, which just isn't how I want to drink stuff every day. So anyway, I decided to make it as a latte, and put in about half a teaspoon of coconut palm sugar per cup. I tasted a bit before adding the hot almond milk, and I was surprised at how much I liked it even then, as it had none of the coffee bitterness I dislike, but just a nicely roasted, maybe slightly nuttiness. As a latte - yum! Cara thought it smelled like a fresh scone, which made me rethink my original coffee smell, but I modified it to smelling like a coffee walnut cake. :) We both thought it was delicious anyway.
I didn't have the straight sleepy attack I had after drinking the green maté *cteresa* sent me, but I definitely felt more on the relaxed, wouldn't mind curling up on the sofa side than the energized one! As caffeine after 5 or 6 in the evening decidedly causes me problems sleeping, it'd be kind of cool to discover that maté made a nice bedtime drink! I'd never have tried this without the care package, and am very happy to discover a new kind of tea I really like - thanks again!Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:01:34 -0400/teas/Roasted%20Yerba%20Mate/23553-roasted-yerba-mate?note=179269
Marco Polo from Mariage FrèresWell, that was unexpected. Of all the lovely Mariage Frères teas sent to me by *Ysaurella* and *cteresa*, I seem to like Marco Polo the best. I feel I've let you both down. :P I was really wondering, after disliking Harney & Sons Paris so much, whether I just was losing even my very picky liking for flavoured black teas, but apparently not. Something about the hint of toffee taste that stops the strawberry from being that sharp note that strawberry too often is in tea (for me, anyway). I say strawberry, but only because that was the predominant fruit. I might manage a slightly more detailed tasting note in the future, but this is as good as it gets at the moment, unfortunately. Thanks again, Teresa - this is delicious!Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:15:22 -0400/teas/Marco%20Polo/1330-marco-polo?note=179274
Mayfair English Breakfast from Jenier World of TeasWed, 12 Jun 2013 15:23:18 -0400/teas/Mayfair%20English%20Breakfast/37967-mayfair-english-breakfast?note=179275
Totonac Vanilla Rooibos from Jenier World of TeasA bit disappointed in this - the flavours were okay as was (as long as you don't need your rooibos actually drowned out by other flavours!), but there needed to be a *lot* more vanilla to make it the kind of vanilla rooibos I like. Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:25:50 -0400/teas/Totonac%20Vanilla%20Rooibos/37941-totonac-vanilla-rooibos?note=179276
Thé des Alizés from Le Palais des ThesI picked this up in town on the day I smashed my elbow, and only tried it in a rather half-hearted way while at my daughter's. I'd no infuser, her rubbish teapot, no bags... unsurprisingly, it didn't turn out amazingly well, but it seemed as if it might make a nice iced tea. A few days ago I made a big pot, added some lemon honey (ridiculously, we have no *plain* honey in the house - lemon, ginger, cinnamon and manuka, but no plain) and stuck it in the fridge. (Oh, right, no ice cubes, either.) It is a very nice iced tea indeed. Peach is the predominant fruit flavour, and it's a good one - don't know if the other fruits are that easily discernible or not, but I didn't get them. Nice green base, if nothing amazing - but you don't necessarily want amazing in this kind of flavoured tea. [Yikes, just these notes, and my right hand has started ballooning up again. Off to elevate it I go - no teacup in hand, either, alas!)Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:31:06 -0400/teas/Th%C3%A9%20des%20Aliz%C3%A9s/4422-the-des-alizes?note=179278
Queen Catherine from Harney & SonsFinally feeling a *little* more competent about tea-making, so doing some more sampling today. (Will keep notes short though, to limit time at computer, after a few days ago with swelling that's left a new set of bruises on my wrist!)
Was unimpressed with H&S Paris, really unimpressed, so didn't have my hopes too high for this one (though it was sent by *cteresa*, so they weren't low either), but really like it a lot. The flavouring is so gentle that it could almost be just the blend of Chinese black teas themselves, which works well for me - especially as I often find cocoa flavours get out of hand. Will try this again, with milk, just to see, but am definitely taken with it! Thanks, *cteresa*!Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:09:33 -0400/teas/Queen%20Catherine/5685-queen-catherine?note=179821
Paul & Virginie from Dammann Freres I'm really feeling that I should have set up a taste comparison with this and Marco Polo side by side, identical cups, me all scientific and sh*t. Actually, I could do something of the sort, as *cteresa* sent generous enough samples that there's still plenty left, though I totally shared with Cara! Anyway, this was lovely - the caramelly vanilla was strong enough but not overwhelming, the fruits were good and the base was strong enough to balance the flavours, but not at all bitter or too astringent. I'm now feeling a challenge to get beyond "the fruits", to distinguish as *cteresa* managed. :) Thanks for this one, *cteresa*!Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:17:55 -0400/teas/Paul%20&%20Virginie/10954-paul-and-virginie?note=179822
Rouge d'Automne from Mariage FrèresOkay, might have to revise what I said about preferring Marco Polo to the other wonderful Mariage Frères teas sent by *ysaurella* and *cteresa*. I drank this before I broke my elbow, but planned to do tasting note on second drinking, and now that my note-making abilities are very limited, I find I need to bump this up mentally! Love the chestnuttiness, (oh, really, Steepster, chestnuttiness should totally be a word if nuttiness is!), and the smooth, gentle tea base, and the vanilla notes. Still have enough for another sample with hope of a better note in the future, but not *too* much hope.
Thanks, *ysaurella*!Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:33:22 -0400/teas/Rouge%20d'Automne/27343-rouge-dautomne?note=179831
Une journée à la campagne from Betjeman and BartonAnother sample sent to me by *ysaurella* - thanks! I'm still limiting the notes, but I definitely liked both the Betjeman & Barton blends *ysaurella* sent me (this and Pouchkine) a lot more than the ones I bought myself - Luxury & Hanami (also Courtisanes, but that's green). I like the orange, though I agree that I wouldn't be able to distinguish it as *blood orange*, I like the more subtle taste of the chestnuts (compared to Luxury), and the cinnamon is a very nice addition to the mix. Good black base too. Definitely a pleasure drinking this - thanks again, Ysaurella!Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:44:49 -0400/teas/Une%20journ%C3%A9e%20%C3%A0%20la%20campagne/36285-une-journee-a-la-campagne?note=179969
Mango Diablo from DAVIDsTEASample kindly sent by *Dexter3657* - thank you! I'm still hoarding a bit, but also trying to enjoy the teas without worrying too much about imperfect brewing. :) I did decide to wait on the Laoshan Village Chai though, as that would really make me sad not to do *right*. Anyway, this was a really fun tea! I liked the mango flavour, and had forgotten about mango and chili, which is one of those combinations that sounds odd but really works. The tea was definitely quite spicy but didn't defeat me. :P Nice green base too, and overall I enjoyed it a lot. Not necessarily something that makes me unduly sad that David's doesn't ship internationally, but something I'm glad to have tried and look forward to drinking the rest of the sample. Another great choice, Dexter - thanks!Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:54:17 -0400/teas/Mango%20Diablo/27190-mango-diablo?note=179970
Better Off Red - Rooibos with Vanilla-Citrus Blush from Now FoodsCame across this sample teabag included in an order from iHerb, and decided to try it before it disappeared again under a bunch of papers on the table. It was surprisingly good, too - enough that I'd be glad to have a box around for tired night rooibos drinking! I'm not sure if the stevia could get a touch bitter if it were left too long (does it do that, or is it only quality/amount that makes it bitter sometimes?), but the citrus and vanilla flavours were lovely, and the extra touch of sweetness was nice too. I wouldn't have minded a stronger rooibos taste, but this was smooth, tasty, and very easy to drink.
ETA - the not so good news is that it left a slightly unpleasant, artificial aftertaste, which lingered for a while. Must be the stevia, as everything is organic. Pity!Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:24:30 -0400/teas/Better%20Off%20Red%20-%20Rooibos%20with%20Vanilla-Citrus%20Blush/32876-better-off-red-rooibos-with-vanilla-citrus-blush?note=180010
Better Off Red - Rooibos with Vanilla-Citrus Blush from Now FoodsMon, 17 Jun 2013 16:33:40 -0400/teas/Better%20Off%20Red%20-%20Rooibos%20with%20Vanilla-Citrus%20Blush/32876-better-off-red-rooibos-with-vanilla-citrus-blush?note=180011